Sometimes the place where you go on vacation looks nothing like its pictures online. That’s exactly what happened to one couple from Ealing, west London, who spent £3,000 on a trip to Koh Lipe, a small island in the Andaman Sea, in Thailand.

Holiday from hell! A digger on the beach at Koh Lipe which was working until midnight for four days

Unexpected trash: The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, spent £3,000 on the trip to Koh Lipe in the Andaman Sea – dubbed the ‘Maldives of Thailand’ – after falling in love with pictures of turquoise seas and golden beaches

Paradise lost: Talking about his traumatic trip, the 35-year-old man who works as a computer programmer, said: ‘We booked the trip to Koh Lipe after seeing all the beautiful pictures online and reading reviews’